


Five Nights

by CowandCalf



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Body Language, Danny Knows, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Pining, season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 21:03:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14505435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CowandCalf/pseuds/CowandCalf
Summary: Steve and Danny were responsible for the night shifts of their stakeout. Steve tried to tell Danny something important without using words. And Danny finally understood Steve's message during their fifth night.





	Five Nights

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N**  
>  **Disclaimer:** The guys are not mine and I don't own any idea from the show. I only claim plot points.
> 
> This story is beta read by my awesome friend [indiepjones46](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiepjones46/pseuds/indiepjones46).  
> All remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> Indie, you know how much your support means to me. My writing improves because of your incredible tutoring. You're my rock, my solid ground when everything shifts apart. You always have my back and your endless support means just the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your help and your stunning beta work. You are the bomb!
> 
> My mind is full of McDanno moments and possible situations. I always end up with prompts at the end of the day. Although I'm in the middle of writing my big Highschool AU project for the guys I wanted to turn this little idea into a one shot.
> 
> I'd like to thank each and every one of you for dropping by and for reading my story. Guys, you're showering me with your attention. Love you all!
> 
> I hope you like it.

The darkest hours of the night happened to always be those between two and four o'clock. This was no man's land. Danny couldn't fight the impression that also animals hold their breath, even if they were nocturnal hunters. Out on the streets, business was rough, unforgivable, and merciless. The hope of making a good deal and earn some money died with each hour closing in to sunrise. The tension increased. The need to guide the business to any completion at all grew and tightened the grip around the fading hope. Danny could almost feel how the hold turned into clenching, filled with the fear of losing again, and to feel the symbolical sand running through fingers, leaving people on the streets behind, fighting emptiness once more.

The minutes crept by. Danny's gaze dropped way too many times down to the digital numbers on the display. Their glowing was almost too bright in the dark space of the car. Five nights – for five nights, Danny endured the physical closeness of sitting right next to Steve with only a tiny distance between their seats. He would have chosen the day shifts for the only reason of avoiding exactly this situation, slouching in his seat in a dark car with Steve who was only an arm's length away. But they lost out to Kono and Chin and pulled the shorter straw.

The _thing_ occurred during their first night on their stakeout. Maybe the restless, pushy energy of those hours before dawn forced it into shape, to finally force it out of the shadow and into the light.

When it happened, Danny almost brushed it off as one of Steve's eccentric tics that he just hadn't had the pleasure to witness up close until now. Danny didn't pay enough attention, although he felt the shift in the air. As usual, the warning signals came from his instincts when he monitored a certain surrounding area. This one was totally different though.  
It started with his heartbeat. It spiked for no reason. Danny sensed this 'boom' as if someone nearby slammed a car door shut, but the reverberant sound echoed only in Danny's head. There was no one walking down the streets and no other car was parked anywhere close by. Danny didn't change his position. His pulse surged forcefully through his veins. Danny knew he had to take a deep breath soon. The oxygen ran thin in his blood due to the pace of it pumping through his body. What the hell just happened? Danny neither shifted in this seat nor did he ask Steve the obvious question. Danny waited to check if Steve had heard that sound, too. In slow motion, he began to turn his head.

Danny swallowed. The air was stale in the car. He saw Steve's chest from the corner of his eye and the steady heaving of his torso. Danny even knew his partner's breathing rhythms and he could have sworn it was faster than normal. Steve leaned his shoulder against the door with his eyes trained on the house only to cock his head, catching Danny in his movement of facing him.

The meeting of their eyes revealed a glimpse of something Steve normally hid well. Some months had passed since Steve rudely, cocky as fuck and arrogant as a bitch on the catwalk, pushed his way through Danny's door. Steve had been dripping with raindrops, looking breathtakingly handsome, standing in the middle of Danny's tiny, ugly apartment, telling him he belonged to his team now. Danny'd had exactly two choices. He could agree to work with Steve, or Steve could drag him outside and press his face into the mud to make him agree to work with him. It was either way, yes or yes? Of course, it was a yes, because what else was there for Danny to do but to follow a freshly and honorably discharged Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander? Yeah right, fuck you very much.

Danny silently admitted that it was thrilling to work for the Hawaiian taskforce. He would, of course, rather cut his right arm off than to share this information with Steve. Danny knew Steve was already well aware of how much he cherished working with this team, especially with this crazy SEAL sitting right next to him.

For a fleeting moment, Danny's eyes were glued to Steve's. It was a shock to his whole system. Steve had lowered his guards. He granted Danny access, allowing him a short, but clear, view behind his iron walls. It was over in a split second, even though the moment had stretched out in front of Danny like half an hour of a romantic movie. Danny assumed Steve hadn't planned to turn his head right this very moment to accidentally lock eyes with Danny. He saw the awareness in Steve's gaze. In a split second, his pupils grew dark, like ink soaked up by a rag. There was no muscle twitching in his face, no jerk from a nervous twitch in his fingers or his thighs. Steve was as composed as a priest deeply submerged into his prayer.

Danny didn't hear Steve inhale or anything similar that gave him away. But he _felt_ it; Danny knew Steve was somehow shocked that he got a glimpse behind his well-protected veil. Danny couldn't even see clearly enough in the dimly lit the car. But he _sensed_ it, right in the center of his stomach, as if a voice whispered the words in a hushed tone into his ear.  
Steve blinked and the enchanted, mystical moment was over and every wall circling Steve's personality snapped into place to keep everyone, including Danny, at a distance.

"What?" Danny asked in a calm voice.

"I thought you wanna ask me something." Steve dipped his chin and searched for the chewing gum lying next to the gear shift.

"Nope, all fine. Nothing is moving, it's all good." Danny sighed, shifted in his seat and almost felt attacked by the loud sound of his rustling clothes.

After that, the silence grew loud between them, but Danny's instincts were wide awake and his whole attention was on Steve while watching the house and the entrance of their suspect. He tried to find an explanation for what just happened. Danny had learned to trust his inner voice, and that voice was screaming at him.

Steve wasn't just checking if everything was okay. Nope, because Steve turned his head without the slightest hint that Danny would start to dart his head in his direction, too. Steve even leaned in. He twisted his upper body only a mere inch, but it was there, the movement _towards_ Danny. Steve adjusted his seat, too, and Danny registered how the angle of Steve's legs changed. He let them fall open more obviously. He still rested against the back rest of his seat, but one hand was on his thigh, high up, and his arm wasn’t protecting his body, it was drawn back, close to his body. It was as if he were showing how open he was, almost inviting. Danny got the impression that Steve was determined to catch up with his body language.  
And then there was his hold on the steering wheel. Someone else might interpret it as a distraction, to let the time pass faster. Steve clutched and loosened his hands around the wheel. He had sort of a pattern going, and when he didn't stop, Danny just let his head roll to the left and watched Steve intensely.

"You alright there, Steve? What's up? Are you hungry? Do I need to chase down a fresh-brewed coffee for you?" Danny's voice was low because he wasn't sure how to approach Steve; although nothing actually changed, for a fraction of a second _everything_ seemed to have changed. Danny had the impression that even the air felt different in his lungs.

"I’m okay. I'm fine. We'll get coffee after our shift ends." Steve spoke to his lap and released the steering wheel from his firm grip. Danny felt Steve's retreat as if someone pulled too hard at his heart. The special moment only lasted a few seconds, but Danny was positive that what just happened was something significant. He couldn't pinpoint what it meant. But Danny was convinced that Steve sent him a message, hidden in a fragile wrapping as if it was fog, disappearing too fast while he was still staring at it, trying to figure out what to make of it.

The world snapped back to its normal routine. The rest of the shift passed as uneventful as expected.

It happened again in the second, the third, and the fourth night.

The time ticked by, passing exactly these early hours from two to four o'clock where the universe acted up and a different entity of time took over. Something shifted and Danny felt it every damn time. The second time, he felt the change as if soft fingertips graced the nape of his neck, making his hair stand up, bringing him an awareness of something bigger.

Steve watched him. He wanted to get caught. Danny was sure that Steve waited for the exact moment to coordinate his movements to make Danny look right into his eyes. Steve held his gaze a few seconds longer. His eyes were dark pools in the twilight of the car. Danny's heart froze between beats and he forgot to breathe. Steve was transferring a message, and Danny tried to decipher the hidden meaning. Steve's body talked more specifically this time. His hand gripped his thigh hard as if preventing himself from reaching out. One leg was stretched as far as the tiny space allowed it. Steve's other leg was propped up and pressed to the door. Danny was startled by the way Steve rested his head against the bolster, too relaxed, too forthcoming, and too promising. He wasn't smiling; in fact, his face was a mask. His fingers idly fiddled with the door handle as if to underline the non-verbal question he was desperately asking. Danny didn't understand the signs. Not yet. And it only lasted a fraction of a second.

There was only so much to talk about during these endless hours of observing. Danny wasn't in the mood to discuss sports, or very personal topics like future goals, dreams that he held, or a bucket list or shit like that. Not with this growing blue elephant in the room between him and Steve. The nights were uneventful and strained their nerves because their perp was still roaming the streets and harming innocent women.

Stakeouts were always unpredictable. They were either mind-numbing because nothing ever happened, or some serious action could break loose in the blink of an eye. Their current case was slow and a lot of paperwork was involved. They finally ended up narrowing down to one suspect who picked up his victims at a grubby dance club on the north shore. The women he selected were older and mostly lonely; they were an easy target. Their suspect got them drunk for easier handling, and then took them to the very house they were observing with the goal of raping them.

When they were on their fifth night, Danny grew edgier the more the clock was about to announce that it was two o'clock in the early morning. His instincts knew there would be action happening around the house this night. Someone switched on a light and a car drove away. Kono and Chin stayed alert, ready to intercept. Steve ended a short talk with Chin to be prepared.

The night went on. They hadn’t spoken in a while. Danny checked the surroundings with a strict schedule. Their last break was at eight o'clock. His legs felt nervous and he needed to take a leak. He put the night-vision device aside.

"I need to piss. I'll be back in a minute." Danny silently pushed his door open and sneaked out. He hid in one of the near bushes, shielded by several layers of leaves. He held his dick and emptied his bladder with a silent moan. He didn't turn right back to Steve. He allowed his mind to take a break. This all-consuming moment that he longed for occupied too much space. Steve just kept repeating this _thing_. Danny blew the air out of his nose and closed his eyes while he tucked his dick back into his briefs.

Steve was a SEAL, trained in a way Danny could never understand. He couldn't fathom how a human being was capable of surviving such torture, such excessive and borderline insane training without snapping. So, Steve didn't get tired. He didn't slip. Nothing happened out of lack of concentration. Not with Steve. Danny knew that every move Steve made was calculated with precision and for a specific purpose. Danny hung his head and propped his hands and either side of his hips. He closed his eyes and decided to go with his gut feeling. He knew these night shifts gave Steve some sort of a possibility to just let go. He let Danny in where no one else was allowed to enter. Steve's personality was a brick wall, solid as a rock, and seriously complicated. Steve was a trapped soul who only trusted a handful of people, his heart too scarred, his emotions too broken never showing anyone what was really going on in his inner world. And now he sat there in his car, waiting for Danny to come back, trying to Morse code him an important message by body language. Danny was determined to solve this riddle.

"Where have you been?" Steve greeted him with concern in his voice.

"I had to piss, Steve. I walked around briefly. I'm already afraid to get stiff muscles after all those hours sitting in a cramped position in this car." Danny only spoke after he closed the door with a soft, controlled thud. "What's going on?" He pointed to the house.

"Nothing so far. It's quiet, too quiet. The light's still on. Kono and Chin are close by, ready to move in if needed." Steve watched the house through the night-vision device not looking in Danny's direction. Danny was as determined as Steve to close this case by catching that son of a bitch. He waited for more to make sure they got all their angles covered and everyone was in place for an emergency call when one of them could confirm they had sight on the target.

And Danny waited even more until it dawned on him that two o'clock had passed, and it was nearly a quarter past three, and _nothing_ had happened. This time, he didn't catch the shift in the air. Nothing made his hair stand on end. Danny's heart jumped with sudden tension. He immediately looked over to Steve to check on him only to see how his hands were white-knuckling the steering wheel, arms outstretched, head turned away from him.

Danny was attacked by a sudden loss. The feeling ate its way into his heart and he furrowed his brows in obvious confusion.

"Don't choke the steering wheel, Steve. We'll get the guy." Danny kept his tone neutral. 

"Yeah, I know." Steve answered, his voice tensed. He let his hands sink back between his legs, upper body turned away from Danny, eyes scanning the surroundings.

And Danny got his answer.

Steve didn't do his _thing_ , but rather, he tried to control his action to prevent it from happening. That gave him away, and it helped Danny to solve the riddle of Steve's body language. A soft smile ghosted over Danny's lips, and for a moment, he allowed his heart to expand in his chest. Danny didn't shut his eyes. He inhaled a few times until he had enough air in his lungs to clear the haze in his mind. Everything was crystal clear now.

They stayed quiet as the time crept on.

The long hours of waiting paid off. The guy showed up and Steve made the call. It was still dark, not even four o'clock in the morning when the cavalry showed up with flashing blue light and sirens. 

Danny watched the spectacle with crossed arms, leaning his hip against the hood of his Camaro. He scratched over the stubble on his chin while he watched Steve approaching him. His expression showed weariness. Danny knew exactly what was going through his head. They had the guy and he was going to be punished, but he’d left broken victims in his wake who would struggle with life after he was done with them. Steve couldn't protect them and it got to him.

"Let's call it a day, babe. We both could use a few good winks of sleep." Danny stood straight, waiting for Steve's answer.

"I need to be there. I want to grill that bastard. I need to talk to him." Steve's eyes were glassy from lack of sleep, but his mind worked overtime.

"Leave it to Kono and Chin. They've got it covered. It's their shift; it's their time to give this bastard living hell." Danny tiredly ran his hand through his hair. "I need some sleep, Steve. I'm already seeing things that aren't even there. I know you could go on for hours without sleep, but it wouldn't hurt for you to rest, too, at least for a few hours until we head back to HQ." Danny stopped Steve by grabbing his elbow. "Okay? Have a break."

"Okay, let's get some rest." Steve answered, voice stern and lightly raspy, giving away the strain from the last days.

They drove in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey, pull over here, would you? I need to buy some stuff." Danny pointed at a grocery store some blocks ahead of them.

"Now? You want to go shopping now?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Just pull over and stay in the car. Sit tight, Steve. I'll be back in a minute." Danny already pushed the door open and slid from his passenger seat. He saw Steve scrubbing his tired face with one hand. "Can I bring you anything?" Danny talked through the open window.

"No, I'm not even hungry. I, - maybe I'll just come in with you. I want to get out of this car. I guess I have a square ass after five days of stakeout and observing."Steve scrambled out from behind the steering wheel. His movements were uneven. They were both worn out, totally sleep deprived to a point as if they were drunk or a little bit stoned.

"Steve, just wait here. I can't deal with you breathing down my neck while I buy some random things I need." Danny wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Should he surprise Steve? Or should he just ask him straightforward? He needed a distraction first to gather some courage to go through with what was on his mind."You hate shopping anyway."

"I never said that." Steve answered defensively."Do you need some 'me' time? Are you already so sick and tired of me after those five nights that you won't stand me while you shop for your stuff?" Steve casually asked, but Danny saw the tension around his eyes, the flicker of insecurity showing in his stance.

Danny felt a pang in his chest at the sight of this brave man, who marched in every battle without even batting an eye. But behind all the corded muscles and chiseled outer shell lived an emotionally shattered man who always asked himself if he was worthy of being part of someone else's life.  
Danny was not going to have this important conversation on the parking lot of a random grocery store. He only gave Steve an annoyed eye roll and pursed his lips.

"If you insist…" Danny turned on his heel.

"Lead the way. You won't even see me."Steve circled the car, tucking his shirt into his cargo pants. Both of their clothes were wrinkled and smelly after sitting in a car all night.

Danny's gaze saw the dark circles under Steve's eyes. They both were worn out. Danny knew Steve was relieved, too, that their op was over. They finally could relax and get the hot shower they'd fantasized about for the last eight hours. Danny didn't dare to lift his arms anymore. His male scent was seriously aromatic and smelled like old sweat, stale car seat fabric, and too much coffee.

He entered the cool atmosphere of the shop followed closely by Steve. The exhaustion settled in his bones and his back ached badly. Danny grabbed a basket and made a beeline straight for the shelves with the toiletries. He hoped for a short break from Steve. Danny needed to clear his head, to get some distance to solve this emotional mess in his chest. But Steve followed him like they were chained together. Danny was well aware that the mood drop lingered close by to hit them sooner or later. That's why they needed to shower, to eat, and to sleep in order to drain the tension that had kept them going for the last days. 

If their case ended the way Danny hoped it would, he would need some supplies. Danny trusted his gut reaction to all those secret hints Steve let Danny pick up during the last five nights. The stubble along Steve's jaw grew more every day, and Danny couldn't think of anything else the last few hours other than leaning over and pressing his forehead against Steve's jaw. Danny sighed deeply and walked down the aisle to get toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, some shaving cream, and whatever he wanted to buy to turn his appearance decent again.

He almost flinched when Steve's hoarse voice spoke right behind him. "C'mon, give me the basket." He offered in an accommodating manner."I don't want to buy anything. I only want to go home, face plant my bed, and sleep for twenty hours straight. You're done already?" Steve didn't wait for Danny to hand him his basket with all the items. Steve just took it.

He checked every bottle and every package that Danny threw in there. "Foot cream?" Steve hummed low in his throat, noncommittally but sounded peeved at the same time. "Who is waiting for you at home?" he asked with so much fatigue in his voice.

"Steve, don't speak in riddles. You can't do that to me. I'm too tired to follow your train of thought. Foot cream in my basket ergo I must be meeting someone at home? I don't get it. Spit it out."Danny threw a pack of cotton swabs on top of all the rest.

Steve sighed and pulled the corner of his mouth down to underline his understanding. "Women need that stuff. I never saw you use any, so I guessed the importance of buying this cream now means that someone is waiting for you at home."Steve's shoulder sagged a tiny bit and his dispirited gaze didn't meet Danny's eyes, but it darkened them.

Danny wanted to wash this hard expression off Steve's face. He stepped up and wrapped his fingers around one of Steve's strong wrists.

"How could you even assume the impossible? We've never had a slumber party so far." Danny felt the warmth of Steve's skin sneaking under his own, leaking into his soul. "I buy that cream for myself. I hate when my feet are dry. I love to cream them and massage them a bit before I go to sleep. It's like a ritual to calm me down."He conveyed, looking a bit sheepish.

"Oh." Steve dropped the cream back into the basket but didn't move. He only clutched the handle of the basket tighter, eyeing Danny's fingers still wrapped around his wrist.

Danny's heart thundered in his chest. He loosened his fingers a bit, but only so far to skid along Steve's hand to pry his fingers from where he was holding on. Steve gave in, let Danny work his grip open, waiting. Time stood still and the sound around them silenced while Danny maneuvered Steve's hand in a way to link their fingers together. 

Danny swallowed hard while his whole body tensed up. _Lead the way_ , that's what Steve had said when they entered the shop. He hoped he figured out the right answer at the end of their five nights; unraveling Steve's signs in the way he meant it, too shy to use words, too broken to make a move, too afraid to be rejected.

Steve's eyelids fluttered before he shut them. He fought for composure, clasping Danny's hand in his.

"Do we need any food? I definitely need my cup of strong coffee after I wake up, even if it's going to be afternoon for us today." Danny reassuringly pressed Steve's hand and pulled him along the aisle to head for the cashier.

"I have coffee." Steve's words came out pressed, his voice thin, while he walked behind Danny.

"Good. Can I borrow a shirt and shorts from you? Or do we need to drop by my place first? I haven't brought my to-go bag with my spare set of clothes." Danny stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

Steve softly bumped into him. Danny looped his arm with their interlinked finger behind his back, forcing Steve to stand so close that their abs touched. Steve's face was an open book, allowing Danny to see what he felt. His brick walls crumbled to ashes for Danny. Steve's dry lips were parted and his breath hitched.

"I have enough shirts and shorts." Steve paused, watching Danny with awe and looking mildly wrecked. "Where do you plan to keep all these things in the basket?" The reverberation of Steve's unasked questions echoed around this one.

Danny stroked Steve's upper arm. "Behind the mirror cabinet in your bathroom, and I like to keep the foot cream on the nightstand." 

Steve's shuddery breath confirmed Danny's hope. "Okay." Steve stepped even closer.

Danny leaned in to rub his cheek against Steve's stubbles covering his jawline, whispering, "Are you okay with that?"

Steve tilted his head a bit until Danny felt the gentle press of soft lips against his temple. "Mhmm." 

Back in the car, before Steve started the engine, Danny leaned over pressing his forehead against Steve's cheek. He pulled his head back, cupped Steve's face with both hands to tenderly kiss Steve's lips. Danny captured his exhaled moan while he gently tongued between Steve's lips. Danny's hands found their way into his hair and Steve hugged the back of his neck to pull him as close as possible while they kissed with growing impatience. 

"Did I solve your riddle correctly?" Danny breathed the words against Steve's soft lips. "The one you performed with your body every night between two and four in the morning." Danny kissed him again, sucking lightly at Steve's bottom lip. Danny felt his smile while his tongue traced the outline of Steve's mouth.

Steve pressed his forehead against Danny's. "Yeah, you did, babe. I didn't know…I wasn't sure, if…" Steve's breath ghosted over Danny's face.

"Let's go home babe."

Steve only nodded with reddened cheeks and held on to Danny's hand the entire way.

**THE END**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated. Every comment will be answered.
> 
> I'm cowandcalf on Tumblr. Swing by and say 'hi'. I always love to meet new people.


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